Tata Steel has announced that Hatch will be part of the team to deliver the hydrogen route to make green steel at its lJmuiden plant in the Netherlands. Hatch has been selected to provide the engineering for the reducing electric furnace (REF) package, which, when coupled with a direct reduced iron (DRI) plant, will enable the production of green steel using hydrogen.
The hydrogen route project is part of Tata Steel’s commitment to produce steel with zero carbon emissions by 2045. To achieve that goal, Tata Steel will convert its steelmaking facilities from coal-based to hydrogen-based utilizing direct reduced ironmaking (DRI) technology, in which iron ore is directly reduced using natural gas, and progressively increasing amounts of hydrogen, and subsequently melted and refined in large and efficient rectangular electric smelting furnaces.
''We want to be CO2 neutral before 2045 and we want to emit between 35 and 40% less CO2 before 2030. This will largely be done via the hydrogen route.''
Hans van den Berg, CEO of Tata Steel Nederland
“We recently made agreements about our future with two ministries and the province of North Holland. We also indicated that we want to be CO2 neutral before 2045 and that we want to emit between 35 and 40% less CO2 before 2030. This will largely be done via the hydrogen route. We are replacing the blast furnaces with modern technology that uses hydrogen or gas instead of coal," said Hans van den Berg, CEO of Tata Steel Nederland.
''Transitioning to low-carbon emission steel production enables the building of a sustainable steel industry.''
Joe Lombard, global managing director, metals, Hatch
“Efforts to reduce CO2 emissions from iron and steel production are critical to mitigating the impacts of climate change. Transitioning to low-carbon emission steel production enables the building of a sustainable steel industry. We look forward to working together with Tata Steel on this landmark project and congratulate them for their leadership in accelerating this change,” shared Joe Lombard, global managing director, metals, Hatch.
Tata Steel has engaged Hatch to develop basic engineering for the DRI reduction smelting complex, which will use Hatch’s electric furnace technology, CRISP+, and design and supply the process equipment within the complex. The Hatch scope broadly includes feed mixing, hot mix transfer, primary and secondary off-gas systems, electric furnaces, and slag granulation.
“Already some years ago, Hatch saw the potential of reducing electric furnace technology for iron and steelmaking, and we invested in the development, testing, and commercialization of the technology accordingly. It is great to see this foresight now bearing fruit, as this technology is key to making green steel production a practical reality,” commented Nils Voermann, global managing director, technologies, Hatch.